It’s Illegal To Leave Your Car Running to Warm It Up In Central New York

Is the cold and snowy weather turning you into a lawbreaker? Here's how warming up your car is illegal in CNY.

We all do it, our car is covered in snow and ice, and we have to drive someplace, so we start our car to warm it up, we run back inside the house because, well, it's cold. And that's how we're breaking the law in CNY.

Starting the engine and leaving the car unattended with the keys in the ignition is against the law.

(a) No person driving or in chargeof a motor vehicle shall permit it to stand unattended without firststopping the engine, locking the ignition, removing the key from thevehicle, and effectively setting the brake thereon and, when standingupon any grade, turning the front wheels to the curb or side of thehighway, provided, however, the provision for removing the key from thevehicle shall not require the removal of keys hidden from sight aboutthe vehicle for convenience or emergency.(b) A driver may, for the purpose of getting away from the place ofstanding, move another vehicle which is so placed he cannot get hisvehicle out; provided, however, that immediately thereafter he shallreset the brake and, if on a grade, turn the front wheels to the curb orside of the highway. This privilege is subject to the limitation setforth in subdivision (e) of section twelve hundred two.(c) Towing agencies, which remove vehicles unlawfully parked onprivate property at request of the owner of the premises and without thewritten consent of the owner of the vehicle, shall immediately notifythe local police station house having jurisdiction over the area wheresuch vehicle was unlawfully parked, of the description of the car whichwas removed, and the time of removal.

The law exists because leaving your unattended car running increases the risk of your vehicle being stolen.

The exception to the rule is a car starter because there are no keys in the ignition.